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In 2002, writer and actress Nia Vardalos invited audiences to witness the tight-knit family wackiness of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Though it’s been 14 years since that first wild and crazy adventure, the Portokalos family is back to their old antics in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
The sequel catches up with Vardalos’s Toula and her whole family as they face their latest misadventure in the loudest, wackiest of ways. Since Toula is accustomed to the extreme closeness of her own family, she struggles to give her 17-year-old daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), space to make her own decisions. But Toula has plenty of other things to worry about after her parents discover a problem with their marriage license—and instead of finding a quick fix, mom Maria (Lainie Kazan), decides to throw her own big fat Greek wedding.
The whole gang is back for this long-delayed sequel—and, really, it couldn’t have happened any other way. Part of the film’s charm is in reuniting with the characters—and it just wouldn’t have worked with recasts and stand-ins. It’s clear that the cast enjoyed getting back together again, and that excitement is often contagious—no matter how over-the-top things may get.
There’s definitely a lot going on in this crazy comedy—and, at times, that makes the film feel even more chaotic than ever. Toula’s father, Gus (Michael Constantine), is especially busy this time around, and he’s involved in all kinds of silly subplots—whether he’s trying to find his teenage granddaughter a good Greek husband or learning to use a computer so he can prove that he’s a direct descendant of Alexander the Great. Meanwhile, like most moms, Toula finds herself struggling to do it all: caring for her aging parents, helping out at the family’s restaurant, keeping up with school activities, and analyzing her increasingly distant teen daughter—all while still trying to find time for both herself and her surprisingly tolerant husband, Ian (John Corbett). Admittedly, there’s a little too much going on here—and that tends to water down the story. But, at the same time, it also means that, while there’s plenty of running, yelling, and bickering, there’s certainly never a dull moment.
And, of course, another thing that these riotous relatives have in abundance is heart. The story may be totally over-the-top, its slapstick silliness often a bit forced, but its heart is in the right place.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is frenzied and overfilled. It’s definitely not a subtle comedy, and it isn’t without its flaws. But there’s just something about the Portokalos family that’s still strangely lovable—and these crazy characters make for an exhausting but enjoyable sequel.
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